Sling TV has raised the price of its base packages by $6. The change went into effect on Friday and is the first price increase for the live TV streaming service in nearly two years. In March 2023, the streamer increased prices in select markets by $5.
The Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans are now $46 a month; the Sling Orange-and-Blue tier has jumped to $61 per month. Each plan offers a suite of live channels such as ESPN, Bravo and TBS, with 35 channels for the Orange subscription, 43 for Blue and 68 for the combo package.
“These increases are industry-wide — other leading streaming providers have had increases throughout 2024,” the company’s website states. “Despite this, Sling continues to be the most affordable option with offerings more than twenty dollars less per month versus other providers.”
The price increase follows DirecTV’s bid to acquire the service in September and the company’s renewal of distribution deals with The Walt Disney Company, which includes ESPN, ABC, FX, Freeform, Hulu and Disney Plus. Sling TV is the latest streaming service to raise its prices in 2024. Max, Peacock and Paramount Plus all hiked their prices over the summer. Disney implemented a price hike for ESPN, Hulu and Disney Plus in October.
To soften the price hike blow, Sling TV added five new games to its free Arcade feature: Pac-Man, Trivia Crack, Dots, Wordleful and Haunted Castle are now playable for subscribers. The company also has a separate, free platform called Sling Freestream, which lets you watch a lineup of live and on-demand content.
Source: CNET
